They are not fearsome groups but there will be no room for confusion. Real Sociedad and Betis already know their Europa League rivals after the draw held this Friday in Istanbul. After knowing the opponents of the Spaniards in the Champions League, it was the turn of the second highest continental competition in importance and neither Basques nor Andalusians have been spared from the ‘coconuts’.
La Real, which was located in pot two, will have to visit Old Trafford, since Manchester United will presumably be the one against who will play the first place in their group. The Red Devils, trained this season by Erik Ten Hag, are looking to get out of the irregularity in which they have been installed for too long. In the 2020/21 season, the English team eliminated Imanol Alguacil’s men in the round of 32.
The Dutch coach has Cristiano Ronaldo in his ranks, who this summer asked to leave the club but finally it seems that he will continue. The Portuguese is the great star of the team, although he does not have guaranteed ownership, as was seen in the last Premier League match against Liverpool. He only participated five minutes in the victory of his teammates, among whom is Casemiro, a brand new signing from Real Madrid.
Precisely a rival that managed to knock down the reigning champion of the Champions League last year was Sheriff Tiraspol, the stateless club. Now it will be a rival of the Real, as well as the Cypriot Omonoia.
Regarding Betis’ rivals, the morbid confrontation between José Mourinho, now Roma’s coach, and Manuel Pellegrini stands out. The Chilean was, in the 2009/10 season, Mourinho’s predecessor as manager of Real Madrid and both have starred in successful careers in which they have won titles such as the English Premier League or the Copa del Rey, each advocating a style of football diametrically opposed to the other and with statements from the Portuguese belittling Pellegrini’s teams. “If Madrid kicks me out, I won’t go to Malaga,” Mourinho once said.
Roma were crowned Conference League champions last season. Group C of the 2022/23 Europa League is completed by two rivals destined, a priori, to fight for third place: the Bulgarian Ludogorets Razgrad and HJK Helsinki, the Finnish club in which Toni Doblas played in his time as a footballer, current goalkeeping coach for Real Betis.
